Proud To Be
by broodyprettygirl
Summary: Lucas is just found out his mom and Keith are getting married. He also just found out he's about to be a father. BRUCAS
1. Chapter 1

-1_Lucas_

_"Lucas, I'm pregnant." _ Those words played over and over in my head. How could I have let this happen? I was more responsible than this. I shook my head hard, trying to forget the last two hours. I didn't want to think about it. I wanted to go numb and forget about everything.

"Luke," My mom stopped me dead in my tracks when she called out my name. A guilty twinge entered my gut. I knew she wasn't going to be pleased when I told her my news. She expect much more from me. I turned slowly towards her, hoping she hadn't called and told my mom before I had gotten home. "You look pale, are you okay?" She came to me and felt my forehead.

"I'm fine, mom, what's up?" I tried to put a happy face on. It wasn't working very well.

"Well, I have good news." She smiled at me. She was beaming. It was almost as though she was glowing. "Um, stick around for dinner, okay?" She smirked and turned away from me.

"You're not going to tell me your good news?" Any other time I would be amused by her tactics, but at this very moment in time, I wasn't.

"I will at dinner." She didn't turn to look at me.

I hung my head low as I walked to my bedroom. I flung myself onto my bed, face down. I wanted to cry. As if someone were answering my wishes, the tears started to spill from my eyes. I was too young to face this reality. How was I going to support a child? How could I raise a child? I, myself, wasn't done being raised yet. I still had another year of high school left.

_"What do you want to do?" I asked her as she stared at the white stick with two pink lines on it. Of course she wouldn't know yet. She hadn't even had time to process everything. _

_"I don't know." She softly whispered, not taking her eyes away from the pregnancy test. I went to her and wrapped my arms around her. I could feel her tense in my arms. She was cold. She didn't want me near her. I could sense it. I wanted to kiss her and promise that everything was going to be okay. I couldn't though. I didn't know if that was true. I didn't want to lie to her. I let go of her. Suddenly I felt every body movement I was making. I felt my arms fall to the side. I looked at her, searching for answers. "What should I do?" She looked back at me, the same look on her face. She was just as terrified as I was. _

"Lucas, dinner." I had fallen asleep through my tears. I looked up at my mom who was standing in the doorway. She gave me an odd look, then came to my bedside. "Were you crying, Lucas?" I had been, but I couldn't tell her that.

"No, I just fell asleep on my face." I shook it off, hoping she believed what I was saying. I pushed myself off the bed and followed her to the kitchen. Surprisingly, Keith was already seated at the table, ready for dinner. I was glad to see him. He had been a better father to me than any real father I could have. Shame swept over me when I saw the look of pride glaze over his eyes when he saw me. I wanted to tell him he would not be so proud of me if he knew how irresponsible I had been.

"So, what's the good news?" I asked, slowly sitting in my chair. I tried to plaster a smile on my face. I was going to make it through dinner without having an emotional breakdown. I hoped whatever good news they had would be so good that I would cheer up as well.

"Well," My mom started dishing out everyone's food. She sat down before she continued her sentence. She looked over at Keith and grabbed his hand. "We're going to get married, Lucas."

A true smile swept across my face as I processed her words. It was fantastic news. Ever since I was a little boy I wanted Keith to be my dad. I wanted my family to be my mom, me, and Keith. "That is great." I could barely find the words to explain my enthusiasm. "That's…That's…It's about time." They laughed at me. I watched as they looked at each other and smiled. I could tell they were in love by the way they looked at each other.

"That's not all, Lucas." Keith's face turned serious once again. "We, well, we are also, well, you are going to be a big brother." Keith reached over and patted my mom's stomach. My mouth dropped. Suddenly my mood fell. I was going to have a baby at the same time my mom was having my little brother or sister?

"Luke, are you okay?" My mom noticed the change in my face. "Are you okay with this?"

I shook myself out of the funk and looked at her. "Yeah, yeah, wow, it's…it's just a lot to take in. I can't believe I'm going to be an older brother." Of course I had Nathan as a brother, but he had never really counted until the past year.


	2. Chapter 2

_Thanks for all the reviews guys! And to answer bornagainbrucasfan's question...this story is set more like season 1 season 2. Um, Lucas never cheated on Brooke with Peyton. The rest of the history will be left to reading! LOL _

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_Lucas_

I walked through the hallway of my school. Everyone was going on with their lives. None of them had worries. None of them knew that my life had completely changed in one day. No one knew that what I had planned for the rest of my life was now facing a major reconstruction. I didn't sleep the night before. I was throwing the idea of a baby back and forth in my head. What exactly did I want to do? I knew I wasn't ready to raise a child, yet the thought of killing one was even worse than that.

I caught her eye as I walked down the hallway. She looked at me sadly. Her eyes that usually beamed with light, were a dull shade. It was as if she had had the life sucked out of them. Those beautiful brown eyes that I used to love to stare into, were now void. She didn't look at me very long. She looked down, as though she was ashamed to look at me. I wanted to go to her. I wanted to be with her all the time. She was the only one who understood how I was feeling. She was the only one who had control over the rest of my life.

When I spotted my girlfriend walking towards me, I immediately ducked into the bathroom. I wasn't ready to deal with her yet. She had enough problems going on in her life. I didn't want her to have to deal with mine. I locked myself in the stall. I had my head in my hands as I sat on the toilet.

"Luke?" I heard Nathan's voice echo through the bathroom.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"Dude, what are you doing? Peyton just told me you were avoiding her." Nathan was standing outside of my stall as he talked to me.

"No..No..." I wracked my brain trying to find an excuse. "I, uh, I kinda don't feel good." It was the only thing I could think of. It was enough to satisfy Nathan. He left the bathroom without another word. I sighed loudly and shook my head. I had to leave this stall. I had to leave this stall and face the world.

As I left the bathroom I ran into her. Her being the one who was carrying my child. I panicked when she fell to the floor. I quickly kneeled down next to her and started asking if she was okay. I scanned her body, not knowing exactly what I would be able to detect, just scared.

"I'm okay." Brooke spoke sternly. She gave me a pointed look. I stood up slowly, and then stuck my hand out, which she grabbed graciously, and I helped her up. "I have a doctor's appointment after school." She was talking very softly and inconspicuously.

"Yeah, I'll go." She hadn't asked me to, but she didn't need to. This was my child and I was going to take care of it, even if we weren't together.

"No, I think that's a bad idea." She shook her head. "I'll call you afterwards." She walked away quickly before I could object.

"Hey there, Scott." I felt myself tense as my girlfriend put her arms around my neck and give me a kiss on the lips. It wasn't that I still didn't want to be with her. I felt guilty about what I was going through.

"Hey Peyt." I tried to be as normal as could be expected.

"Wanna hang after school?" We started walking towards class. She grabbed my hand as we walked.

"Look Peyton, I'd really love to, but I can't." She gave me a pouty look, sticking her bottom lip out to add emphasis. I really did want to. I would give anything to go back to the day before yesterday when everything was normal. Where I was happy with Peyton. "It's just, I've gotta go to the doctor with my mom." She gave me a confused look. "Look, don't tell anyone but her and Keith are getting married and she's pregnant."

"Oh my God, Luke, that's awesome." She gave me another kiss. "Are you excited?"

"Oh yeah, of course. She's beyond happy. And I'll be glad to have Keith around all the time." Of course I was happy for them. Keith was a fantastic father. He filled in for mine for many years. I just wasn't sure how great of a father I was going to be.

After school let out, I raced quickly towards Brooke's car. There was no way I was letting her go to the doctor on her own. I wanted to be there. Even if she didn't want me there. I had to be there. I was glad to see I had beaten her outside. Her face narrowed as she walked towards her car and saw me. She started unlocking her car, without saying a word to me.

"I'm coming with, Brooke." I stood next to her as she unlocked her door.

"No, you're not." She didn't even look up at me.

"Yes, I am, Brooke. You don't have to do this on your own. I'm here for you. I'm going to be here for you. I'm going to be here for our child."

"Listen," She looked up from the lock, and started poking me in the chest. "I don't need you okay. I don't need your help. I don't need your support. This is MY life."

"Brooke, this," I pointed to her stomach. "This is MY child. MINE...and yours...OURS."

Brooke looked around to make sure nobody was paying attention to us. "Look, Luke, I let you go. I let you go so you two could be together. Now, go be with her. I don't need you making my life OR her life any more complicated than it already is."

"Anymore complicated?! Are you kidding me? How could it NOT get anymore complicated?"

"Look, Luke, I'm not keeping it. Okay? I'm getting rid of it today." Tears were slipping down her cheek as she spoke these hateful words. It felt as though I had just been slugged in the chest. I knew it was her choice, but why would she want to do such a thing? I could feel tears stinging my eyes. I couldn't manage to speak any words. I turned away from her and started walking as fast as I could.


	3. Chapter 3

-1

_Lucas_

I walked aimlessly. I didn't know where I was going. I didn't want to know where I was going. I just wanted to go. I tried to wrap my brain around the word...abortion. A chill came over my body. Every time I heard the word in my head, I would get nauseated. I didn't want to think about my child being murdered. I knew I was too young to deal with this but I knew I didn't want to kill it.

It. Him or her. I would never know if it was a girl or boy. I would never get to hold it in my arms. I will never get to see its sweet face. I would never know if it had my eyes or Brooke's eyes. I wouldn't be able to see it take its first steps. I wouldn't be able to watch it ride a bike for the first time. I wouldn't be able to watch as it ran off to school on its first day of school.

Tears formed in my eyes and started spilling over. I looked around to make sure I could see no one. There was a family of four getting into their car. I watched as the little boy opened the car door. He was little. Maybe four or five. The door was bigger than he was, so it was hard for him to open it. He managed though. He had to climb into the car, as it was too tall for him. Tears fell harder from my eyes. I had to get out of public. I had to be in private. I didn't want anyone to see me like this.

I ended up at Peyton's house. I knew she would let me wallow, and not need an explanation why. I didn't want to explain to anybody why. I walked right into her house, knowing she wouldn't hear me if I knocked anyways. I dried the tears from my face before I entered her bedroom. Her face lit up when she saw me. As soon as she noticed the look on my face, her face fell as well.

"Luke, are you okay?" I was standing in the doorway, just staring at her. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. I just stared. "Luke, talk to me." She started to get up off her bed.

I rushed towards her and sat next to her on the bed. I put my face into her chest and let the tears flow. I cried uncontrollably. She sat, rubbing my head. She was whispering soothing words into my ear. I couldn't make them out, but the sound of her voice was helpful. She let me cry into her chest. I wanted to tell her why. I wanted to, but I couldn't. How could I tell my girlfriend, my ex-girlfriend was pregnant with my child, and now I was having an emotional breakdown because she was having an abortion, probably as I lied here in her arms.

I tried to calm myself down. I started wiping my face. Peyton started to ask questions. She asked me why I was crying, if I was okay. I couldn't answer her. "Luke, you have to talk to me." Peyton pushed me so that I was looking into her face.

"Peyton," I choked up, "I really want to." I looked down, away from her. I felt as though I was lying to her. I felt wrong. I was hiding a very important piece of information from her. "I really want to. I just can't. Not yet." She didn't need to hear anymore words. She wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me back into her chest.

"Luke, it'll be okay." I could hear her now. "Whatever it is, it'll be okay. I'm here for you, Luke. You'll always have me." I knew it wasn't going to be okay though. I may always have Peyton, but I will never have my first child.

I started to get angry with Brooke as I thought about it. How could she just get rid of a part of her? Yes, we were young. We had so much ahead of us. But this is a child. A human life. I tried to reason by telling myself it was her choice. It was her body, and she could do what she wanted with it. But, she hadn't even talked to me about it. She never conversed about what we were going to do about our child with me one time. It was only the night before that we had found out. She had decided so quickly to get rid of our child.

"Peyton," I looked up at her, "Thank-you."

"For what?" She asked.

"For letting me do this. For letting me cry into your chest with no explanation as to why."

"Lucas, I love you." She kissed my forehead. "You don't need to thank me. You can do this whenever you want. No questions asked or explanations needed." I leaned in and kissed her gently on the lips. I was so thankful to have Peyton in my life. She had all this drama in her life, but was willing to put it all aside to let me do this.

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_Brooke_

I cried all the way to the doctor. It was hard to see through the tears as I drove. I needed to get this done and over with. I needed to put this behind me so I could start moving forward with my life. I wiped my face off before getting out of my car. I walked with fake confidence to the doctor's office. I checked in at the front desk. They handed my paperwork to fill out. I sat and filled it out as I waited for the nurse to call me back.

I wanted to start crying again as I finished the paperwork and took it back to the desk. I sat back in a chair, and waited longer. The minutes seemed like hours. I was scared about what was going to happen. I started thinking about Lucas. A feeling of guilt struck me as I thought of what I had told him. He looked so hurt. I didn't want to ruin his life. He was happy with Peyton. I didn't want to ruin that.

"Brooke Davis." I looked up as though I was surprised they called my name. I grabbed my stuff and followed the nurse. She weighed me and made me pee in a cup. Then I was escorted to a room where she took my blood pressure, and asked more questions. I felt as though I was having an out of body experience. There was no way this was actually happening to me.

"I'm really nervous." My voice was quivering.

"Well, hun, we did a pregnancy test and you are pregnant. And you've already decided what you want to do?" She questioned me.

I shook my head, indicating to her that I had. I couldn't have it any other way. There were no other options for me. She handed me a gown, and then told me the doctor would be in shortly to see me. I undressed and put the gown on. I sat down on the bed that was in the tiny room. I had never felt more uncomfortable in my life. It wasn't long before the doctor entered the room. He introduced himself and shook my hand. He looked through my chart and then started asking me more health questions.

"So, you've decided?" He looked at me to make sure. I nodded my head. I could feel the tears start to gather in my eyes. I have no other choice. "Alright." He stood up and put some gloves on. A nurse joined us to help the doctor. He made me lay back and put my feet in stirrups. "Now, Brooke this is going to be cold and you're going to feel pressure." He started to explain to me. "This is a pretty normal thing to do at the beginning of pregnancies. You won't have to have another one for a year. After we do this, we're going to have to do some blood work as well. Then I'll get you a script for prenatal vitamins and some pamphlets on how to take care of yourself, and then you can be on your way." I tried to relax. The thought of being pregnancy for nine months weighed on my mind though.

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The beginning of this chapter is for my friend Angie. So you better review! And to all you Brucas fans...It killed me to write as much as it probably did for you to read it! LOL...Thanks for the reviews guys! Keep them coming, I love your feedback! 


	4. Chapter 4

_Hey all you readers! Thanks for the reviews! I appreciate them. Just to let you know, Brooke and Lucas dated before he was with Peyton, but he never cheated on Brooke with Peyton. The rest of the history of their relationship will be revealed in later chapters! Keep reading and reviewing:) :)_

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_Brooke_

I woke up as a wave of nausea came over my body. I groaned loudly as I ran to the bathroom and started emptying the contents of my stomach into the toilet. It as though the vomiting would never end as I heaved. I sat next to the toilet when it finally ended. All the energy had been drained from my body. I had to catch my breath again before I could try to stand up. I gained my strength and warily lifted my body from the floor. I brushed my teeth and washed my face. I started getting ready for school. I had to make myself look especially better so no one would suspect me of being pregnant.

Pregnant. That word flashed through my head. Reality still hadn't been fully conceived into my brain. I still fought with myself over the thought of being pregnant. Abortion wasn't an option for me. There was no way I could get rid of a part of me. And Lucas. Lucas. I still loved him, and I would love his child even more.

I knew Lucas was upset when I told him I was getting rid of his child. I just couldn't have him caring for me during this pregnancy. I wouldn't be able to deal with him there, doting on me and know he was going back to Peyton for his support. I didn't want the feelings I was trying to forget to confront me every time I was around him.

As I walked into school that day, I felt as though everyone was staring at me even though they weren't. There was, however, one stare I did receive. Lucas. I could feel his eyes on me as I walked through the hallway. I could feel holes being burned through me from his icy glare. I avoid his eyes. I averted mine to the ground as I walked passed him. I knew if I made eye contact he would read me like a book, as he always has been able to do. I sat in my classroom. I was early. I wanted to avoid all conversations. Lucas came and sat in the desk next to me. We had chosen our seats when we were together. I regretted that now.

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_Lucas_

I felt uncomfortable sitting next to Brooke. I would glance over at her periodically to see if I could get any sense of what she had done. She was cold and rigid. She was avoiding me like the plague. I just wanted to make eye contact. Brooke's eyes would tell me the whole story without her having to say a word.

"Brooke, " I spoke softly as I intently stared at her. I had to know what she had done. She turned her head slightly, but didn't look at me. "Can we talk? After school today?"

"What do we need to talk about?" Her voice was harsh. When Brooke knew she was vulnerable she put up a wall to keep every one out. This was what she was doing to me now.

"You know." I tried to keep my voice low so no one could hear. There was no one else in the room so I knew I was being paranoid.

"Yeah, I guess, Lucas." She sounded annoyed with me. I told her to meet me at the river court as soon as she could after school. She only nodded and turned back to avoiding me.

Other students started to trickle in. Peyton soon was also joining the class. She softly touched my shoulder as she walked past me to her seat. This was going to be a long day. Mr. Hanley started his lecturing the minute the bell rang. I only half listened to what he was saying. My soon to be conversation with Brooke was all I could think about. I wanted to make sure she knew that even if she did get the abortion I didn't think any less of her and I understood why but that I wished she would have kept it.

The lecture continued on and I noticed Brooke started shifting in her desk. She was taking in deep breaths and kept putting her head in her hand. I watched her as she kept shifting back and forth. I knew there was something wrong with her, but couldn't tell exactly what. I tapped her on the shoulder.

"You okay?" I asked in a whisper. She shook her head furiously. Her face had turned pale and was now a light shade of green. "Go to the bathroom." I pointed to the door. I wasn't whispering this time so Mr. Hanley turned to see what the commotion was.

"Mr. Scott, would you like to share with the class what you and Miss Davis are discussing." Mr. Hanley didn't even look at Brooke, who was changing colors.

I ignored his comment, and stood up. I turned to Brooke and helped her up. She needed to get to a bathroom and fast. "Mr. Scott, please get back in your seat." I ignored his orders and held Brooke up as I led her out the door and to the girl's bathroom. I pushed the door open and led her into a stall where almost immediately she started to spewing her food back up. I grabbed her hair and held it back. I placed my hand on her back and started rubbing it, trying to soothe her a little.

After she was done, she sat down next to the toilet, out of breath. I stood up and went to the sink to get a wet paper towel. I returned to her and started wiping her forehead with the damp towel. Her forehead had started to sweat with all of the exertion from puking.

"Luke, quit." She smacked my hand away. "You can't do this." She slowly stood up. I reached out and grabbed her arm, making sure she could stand okay. Once she was steady she ribbed her arm from my grasp. "Just go back to class." I stood and stared at her, shocked by her hostility. "Go!" She pushed me in the chest. Her shove was so forceful I had to take a few steps back. I looked at her for a few moments and then left the restroom.

After the last bell rang I hurried to my locker and put my stuff away. I was the first one out of the school. I had avoided conversation with everyone, wanting to get to the river court as soon as possible. I hoped Brooke was still going to meet me there. Once I arrived, I sat at the picnic table, waiting for Brooke. After her incident that morning there had been a lot of speculating. I, on the other hand, knew for a fact why she had to be escorted to the bathroom. At least my gut told me I was right. It was thirty minutes before Brooke's car pulled up. She hesitantly got out of her car and walked towards me.

"Hey." I greeted her. She stood with her hands on her hips. She glared at me coldly as she waited for me to talk. "Well, um, so you didn't...uh, do it, did you?" I couldn't say the word abortion. My own father had wanted me aborted. My mom knew better though.

"Does it matter, Lucas?" Brooked asked. Her tone of voice hadn't changed since that morning.

"Yes, it matters, Brooke." I stood up and walked towards her. "I want to be there. For you. For my baby."

"Well, you can't." Brooke started to turn away from me. I grabbed her arm, preventing her from walking away from me.

"So you kept the baby, right?" O stared questioningly into her eyes. I could see fear and pain in them.

"Luke, you can't be there for me okay. I can't have you there for me." I could see the tears starting to form in her eyes. She still hadn't answered my question. I didn't loosen my grip on her arm for fear of her running away from me.

"Brooke, I have to be. I want to be. If you're still carrying my child then it's my obligation to take care of you, and the baby."

"No!" Brooke snapped. Her arm stiffened under my grasp. "WE are NOT an obligation to you!" She pointed her finger into my chest as she talked. "I told you, you have no ties to this baby! I don't need to your obligatory sympathy and support." Her finger was pushing me back as she talked.

"No, I don't mean obligation. I want to do this. I want to experience this with you. This is my first child, too Brooke, please don't take that away from me."

"Lucas, you don't understand." Her face softened and her eyes filled with hurt. The tears overfilled her eyes and were now streaming down her face. "I can't have you there by my side. You don't understand how hard it was for me to give you to her. I've only just now been getting over you. I can't have you there being all sweet to me, and then see you leave and know you are going to her."

The pain in her eyes and voice were enough to send me over the edge. I could feel the tears forming in my own eyes. I didn't know Brooke had those feelings. When she broke up with me she was so careless and hurtful. I had felt as though she really didn't want to be with me. That the only reason why she had been with me was to have fun and make Peyton mad.

"Brooke, I had no idea." I loosened my grip on her arm, but didn't let go. I wanted to wrap my arms protectively around this broken girl.

"Of course you didn't!" She snapped. "Lucas Scott, completely oblivious and naive to everything."

"Brooke, I didn't want to break up. You broke up with me. In a very mean and hurtful way."

"That's because I knew if I didn't leave you, you would have left me for her. I couldn't have it that way. I wanted my dignity."

"No, Brooke, I wouldn't have."

"Yeah, but it didn't take long for you to get with her." Her forehead furrowed and her eyes became narrow. She was starting tog et mad again.

"I was hurt, Brooke. She was there for me. I would still be with you if you hadn't shattered my heart into a million pieces. She was there to pick them up. You have no idea how much I loved you!" I was starting to get mad at her. She was blaming me for something I didn't do. I would have never left Brooke for Peyton. The thought never even entered my mind when I was with Brooke.

"Don't. Just stop. I can't stay here for this." She yanked her arm from my grasp and stormed away.

"Good Brooke, just walk away!" I yelled at her as she walked away. "Run away from this! Just like you ran away from us!" I started jogging towards her. I grabbed her arm and turned her around so I knew she could hear what I was saying. "You can run away from me all you want, Brooke. But don't you dare blame for something I never did." I stood very close to her, making sure she knew I was serious. "I wanted to be with you. I put my heart on the line for you. YOU didn't do the same for me. You got scared and pushed me away. But you know what, you're not pushing me away from my child. Every time you turn around I am going to be there. Whether you like it or not, so you better get used to it." I dropped her arm and stared at her. She returned my glare.


	5. Chapter 5

Brooke

After leaving Lucas I drove around. I didn't want to go home and I didn't want to be alone. I found myself driving to Haley's house. I hoped she was home as I walked to her door. When she answered the door, I had tears streaming down my face. She let me in and immediately wrapped her arms around me in a hug. I had never been close to Haley, but now I felt as though she was my only friend. She was best friends with Lucas and that was how I got to know her. Before I was with Lucas, she was just a nerd girl that I couldn't hang out with because I was too popular. I have realize since then that popularity is fake and I shouldn't have been so quick to judge people because they weren't popular.

"Honey, what is wrong?" She pulled away from the hug and looked me in the eyes.

"Haley, if I tell you something, you have to promise me that you will not tell anyone. Not even Nathan can know this." I was hesitant to tell her my secret. Not because I didn't trust her, because Lucas had been the only person I had told yet. It was hard for me to admit it out loud.

"You know I won't tell anyone." I knew I could trust Haley with my life. She was the one person I knew in this world that was a good person. Besides Lucas. I rolled my eyes and silently scolded myself for thinking of him.

"I'm..." I stopped. I couldn't get the next word out. Not out loud.

"You're what?" Haley searched my eyes for answers. I secretly wished she would guess so I didn't have to say it out loud.

"Pregnant." I said it as soft as I could. It was barely audible but I knew from the look on hre face that she knew what I had said.

"Oh, Brooke," I could tell she was unsure of what to say. "Well, that's a good thing, right?" I knew she was trying to make me feel better.

"Look, I'm sorry I came here, but I don't feel like I have any friends anymore. I know you're close to Lucas and I know it puts you in a weird spot and I'm sorry." I was babbling on and playing with my fingers. I was trying to avoid the topic that seemed to be floating over our heads in big bright lights.

"No, Brooke, it's okay. Lucas doesn't care that we're friends. And if he does, then that's his problem." Haley wrapped her arms around me in another hug. "So, is Lucas the dad?" She asked once pulling away. I knew that question had been on her mind since I had told her I was pregnant.

I slowly nodded my head and tears started falling again. "I don't know what to do, I'm so scared." I put my face into my hands as I cried. I felt Haley starting to rub my back.

"I'm here for you, okay? I'll always be here for you. My door is always open so feel free to come and talk to me whenever. Even if it's in the middle of the night." She was rubbing my back and holding my hand as she spoke. Her voice was soft and soothing. With most people, I wouldn't believe these words, but with Haley I knew that it was coming from a place with meaning. "Does Lucas know, honey?" I thought it was sweet and funny she was calling me honey.

"Yeah," I took my face out of my hands and started wiping tears away. Haley grabbed a Kleenex and handed it to me. "He wants to be all nice and supportive. But, I don't want him there. I can't deal with it."

"He needs to be there. Let him be there. Lucas is a great guy. He'll be completely awesome throughout this whole thing."

"I know, but that's why I can't him there." Haley was confused. She _looked_ just as confused as _I was._ I loved Lucas. A lot. But, I didn't want him with me. I hated feeling vulnerable to someone and that's how I felt with him.

"I know he's with Peyton, but he'll still put you and the baby first."

Peyton. The very name made me shudder. We were best friends growing up. Through most of high school even. But, after her mom died, she started acting all crazy. I had gotten a boyfriend, my first boyfriend, and she intentionally stole him from me. We remained friends after that, but every boyfriend from that part on she either stole or cheated with. I always decided her friendship was more important than any relationship with a guy, but was still hurt by her actions. So, when she met Lucas and started getting attached, I worked my way into the middle of them. Little did I know he wasn't someone I could just use and abuse. He was someone I would grow to be dependant of.

"I can't be around Lucas, Haley." I stood up and started pacing. "I gave Lucas to Peyton because I had a guilty conscience. She stole my boyfriends all the time and I decided to steal one of hers from her." Haley looked at me more confused than ever. As I started telling her the story, I started thinking about the night I broke up with Lucas...

_I entered Lucas' bedroom slowly from his outside door. As immediate smile crept onto his lips when he saw me. He was sitting on his bed, reading a book. He was such a nerd and I was completely in love with him for it. He got up and greeted me with a passionate, yet tender kiss. I loved his kisses. They were sweet and sensual. They were perfect. They were going to make this hard for me to do. _

_"Hey pretty girl, what's up? What's got you coming over so late? Did you miss my sweet lovin' so much she had to sneak over for a quickie." He winked and smiled as he joked with me. I wanted to laugh, but my reason for being there wouldn't allow me to be happy. _

_"No, Lucas, will you sit down? I need to talk to you." His face turned solemn. His smile went from a smile to a frown. I could tell he was worried about what I had to talk to him about. _

_"No, I don't want to." He now looked scared as I fidgeted with my fingers. I didn't want to do this. I wanted to be happy and with him. But, because of the guilt I felt about stealing him from Peyton, I had to force myself to do this. The more attached to him, the guiltier I felt. It also didn't help that I was scared to death of being so vulnerable to someone. To know that with just a few words he could completely break me down. I had to end it before he did that to me. _

_"Okay," I took in a deep breath, "Well, uh," The words had escaped my lips. I struggled to find them. I could already feel tears threatening to fall. "I don't want to be with you anymore." I laid it all out, getting it over with. I was hoping I could just turn around and leave, but knew he needed some sort of explanation._

_"What? You're joking, right?" He put a fake smile on his face. I knew he was hoping I was joking. _

_"No, I'm not." I let him know I was serious. I didn't want him to know that I wished I was joking. _

_"Yeah, you are, because you wouldn't break up with me for no reason." Lucas' face started to turn pale. He had wiped the smile from his face and was now staring at me directly in the eyes. "You're lying." _

_"I'm not lying, Lucas." I let out a small sigh and averted my eyes to the other side of the room. _

_"Yeah, you are. Brooke, you want to be with me. Don't do this. You love me." His eyes stared pleadingly at me. I could see tears in the corners of his crystal blues. _

_"No, I don't love you, Lucas." My voice was shaky and my palms were sweaty. "I never did. I only used you to get Peyton mad and jealous. Me being with you was only revenge on her." I stared into his eyes as they filled with tears. They started to spill over and stream down his face. I turned my face away, not wanting to look at him. I knew if he looked into my eyes he would be able to tell I was lying. _

_"Peyton? What does she have anything to do with this?" Lucas' voice cracked as he spoke. He sniffled after her got done speaking, and wiped the tears from his eyes. _

_"You're free to go be with her now. I'm not in your way now." The tears were now to heavy for my eyes to hold back. The flood gates had opened and now there was a river a tears flowing down my cheeks. I fought as hard as I could to make them stop. Unfortunately, they were winning the battle. _

_"I don't want to be with her." I knew in his voice he was telling the truth. I knew he didn't want to be with Peyton. But, blaming him for wanting to be with her was my way of reasoning with myself that I was doing the right thing. I knew in the end he would only end up hurting me. If it wasn't with Peyton, it would be someone else. _

_"Well, I don't want to be with you. It's obvious you do want to be with her. You talk about her all the time. You're always with her." _

_"Brooke, what are you talking about?" _

_"Just, it's over." _

_"No, Brooke," He grabbed me and wrapped his arms tightly around my shoulders. I nuzzled my face into his chest and instinctively wrapped my arms around his waist. I took in his scent, never wanting to forget it. I tried to remember every detail of how it felt to be in his arms. How protected and comfortable I felt. This would probably be the last time I'll ever be wrapped in this comfort zone. _

_"Brooke, you don't want to do this. you wouldn't be crying or letting me hold you if you did." He spoke without letting go. "Don't push me away, Brooke. Please, just don't do this. I'm not going to hurt you." He was right, I didn't want to do this. But I didn't know for sure if he was going to hurt me. That was why I had to do this. _

_"Lucas, I already told you I don't want to be with you. I don't love you. I never have. I never will. So, I'd appreciate it if you would just never talk to me again." It killed me to say such hurtful words to him. I could see his heart breaking in front of me. _

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_Lucas_

I was furious as Brooke as I walked away from the river court. I wasn't in the mood to be alone, so I decided not to go home. Instead, I made my way to Haley and Nathan's. I was surprised to see Brooke sitting on the couch when I arrived. I wanted to turn around and leave but my pride wouldn't let me. I needed to stay to prove to her that I wasn't going anywhere.

"Where's Nathan?" I asked Haley. I ignored the elephant that was in the room.

"Grocery shopping." I could tell she was nervous having both of us there. "Listen, I'm going to go and take a shower. You two feel free to talk about anything you might be having problems with." She hurried from the living room before either of us could stop her,

"You told her?" The annoyance in my voice was evident and seeped from every word. Brooke only nodded her head. "She's my best friend. I should have been the one to tell her." I was still spiteful over Brooke not wanting me to be a part of my child's life. "You want to tell my mom, too? Just completely take me out of the equation."

"Shut up, Lucas. Why are you being so mean?" Her voice wavered and tears started streaming down her face. I immediately regretted the hateful words I had just said to her. It wasn't like me to be so mean or spiteful. She had just struck a nerve. The sympathy nerve had now been struck. I knew she was pregnant and yet I still decided to verbally abuse her.

"Oh, Brooke, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to be mean." I rushed to her and wrapped my arms around her. I could feel her body shook as she sobbed in my arms. I wanted to take all of her pain away. I wanted to take all of her pain and put it into me so that she could be happy. So she could be my Cheery. "Brooke, I'm an idiot. I'm so sorry." I tried to soothe her as I stroke the back of her head with my hand.

"I'm sorry too, Lucas." Brooke's voice was muffled as she spoke into my chest. I could feel my shirt getting wet from her tears. "I'm so sorry for pushing you away. I do want you in my life. I'm just so scared." She wrapped her arms tighter around me as though she was afraid to let go.

"I'm scared too, Brooke. You have no idea how scared I am. But, we have to do this together. No one else is going through what we are going through. We need each other right now. We only have each other to lean on because we both know and understand what it feels like."

After a while of talking to Brooke, I went home. I had started feeling better about the pregnancy the longer we talked. I felt so good about it that I decided it was time to tell my mom. I was going to be hard, but I knew it had to be done. She was an understanding and forgiving woman. She would love me no matter what.

I stood in my kitchen, watching as my mom put away dishes. She was so happy about this pregnancy and the upcoming wedding with Keith. I only hoped she would be just as happy about the expected arrival of her first grand kid.

"Mom, can you sit down? We need to talk." She looked at me, worried.

"Sure, Lucas." She sat down at the table and I sat across from her.

"Mom, you know I think you did a great job raising me. You have never let me down and you have always taught me to be responsible and reliable." She nodded her head looking even more confused. "So, what I am about to tell you, you should take no blame in. I acted irresponsibly and now I am going to face it head on. And from now on, I am going to be completely responsible and reliable." I hoped I was making sense. I was trying to pad my mom for the blow she was about to receive.

"Lucas, just tell me what it is."

"Brooke is pregnant.. By me." Her face went from confused to shocked to angry.

"What?" She spoke surprisingly calm.

"I'm having a baby, too, mom." I wasn't as confident as I was before. Now I was petrified. The good feelings I was having about the pregnancy had quickly faded.

"Lucas Eugene Scott!" She shot up from the table. "How dare you sit here and talk about responsibility and reliability! I've taught you better than this!" She pointed her finger at me as she screamed at me. "Didn't you learn anything from me?! Didn't you learn how hard it is to be a young parent?! I didn't want that for you! You KNEW I didn't want that for you! Now I am going to have a baby at the same time I will be getting my first grand child?! How do you expect this baby to be supported?! I sure in the hell can't afford it! You're such a disappointment! I am so disappointed in you!" She paced back and forth in the kitchen as she ranted on. Her last words had hit me like a ton of bricks. Tears formed and spilled from my eyes. "Just go to your room! Get the hell out of my sight!"

I immediately got up from the table and went to my bedroom. I sat on the edge of my bed with my elbows on my knees and my head in my hands. I let the tears flow as I sobbed loudly. I heard my door being opened through my cries. I looked up through teary eyes and saw Brooke standing in front of me. She immediately came to me. I wrapped my arms around her waist and buried my face into her abdomen. I started kissing it lightly, some how feeling as though I was kissing our child. I let the tears flow as I started speaking.

"Hey in there, tiny baby." I gave her tummy another soft peck. "You sure are causing daddy a lot of heart ache already. You know, I love you more than anything already, and I haven't even met you yet."

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Hey guys, thanks for the reviews! I love them! And when you ask questions in them, sometimes it gives me ideas about what I could write, so keep them coming:) :) I hope you liked this chapter! 


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: The beginning of this chapter is Brooke's view of the end of the last chapter...I hope that makes sense. Thanks for the reviews btw guys! 

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Brooke

I decided to walk home from Haley's house after Lucas left. I had my car, but I was in the mood to walk. I had all these thoughts in my head that I needed to sort through. I felt so comforted after talking to Lucas. He was being his usual sweet self. So protective and heroic. Perfect. That's what scared me. As I talked to him, my selfish side told me that I needed to be with him. I wanted to be with him. My life would be perfect with him. But now, he was with Peyton. They weren't just being friends that had a connection, they were actually together now. How could I trust that he wanted to be with me, and not be with me because of the baby.

I found myself walking towards his house, not my own. I knew I shouldn't have been going there, but I didn't want to be alone. I wanted, if only for one night, for him to wrap his arms around me and tell me everything was going to be okay. I wanted him to speak the perfect words he always seemed to have whenever things were tough. I wanted him to tell me again, just as he had a few hours earlier, that it was us against the world.

_"Me and you, Brooke. It's us against the world right now. We're going to have an up hill battle with this baby coming. So many people are going to be against us keeping this baby, but we can't let them falter our love for this child. We know what we want to do, and we're going to have to fight together." _

His words stung my ears as I walked along. He was being so incredibly strong. I didn't know where he was getting his strength from, but I knew I needed him to stand behind me for my own strength. I needed him there by my side when we decided to tell everyone that we were having a baby and we were keeping it. I knew I didn't have enough strength of my own.

I didn't knock on his door when I got to his house. I opened the door as quietly as I could, hoping his mom or someone else was in his room. I was surprised to see him sitting on the edge of the bed with his head in his hands. He looked up to me his eyes blood shot. He had tears streaming down his face, and his expression was the saddest I had ever seen his face. I immediately went to him. He wrapped his arms around my waist and buried his face into my abdomen. I felt my tummy getting wet as he cried. He started kissing my stomach. My heart melted with his actions. My whole body now felt like jello. My heart fluttered furiously, getting faster and faster with each kiss.

"Hey in there tiny baby." He started speaking. Tears filled my eyes. They weren't sad tears though. They were tears I couldn't control because of all the emotions I had running through my body. Tears of joy. I kissed my still flat tummy one more time gently. "You sure are causing daddy a lot of heart ache already. You know, I love you more than anything already and I haven't even met you yet."

The tears were now streaming down my face uncontrollably. In that moment, I felt Lucas' weakness. I now knew that he was not as strong as he had sounded just hours earlier. My heart ached for him as he nuzzled his face as deep as he could into my stomach. I now knew that Lucas was staying strong for me. So that I wouldn't have any of the stress. I felt a new feeling sweep over my body. It was my turn now. It was my turn to stay strong for him. I had to do the consoling this time. I needed to be his rock in this moment.

"Lucas, what's wrong?" I ran my fingers through his hair, trying to comfort him. I tried to pull away so I could look into his face. He held on to me for dear life. He didn't want to let go. "Lucas, baby, you can talk to me. Tell me what is wrong so I can help.

I loosened his grip so I could kneel down in front of him and look him in the eyes. His hand came up and stroked my cheek. He turned my face toward his hand as he did so. I felt a spark be sent through my body as he touched me gently. His eyes were red and puffy and his face was soaked from tears. I could tell he didn't want to tell me what was wrong. But I needed him to open up. I needed him to let be his rock.

"You don't need to worry about this, Brooke." Lucas spoke softly as he spoke. "I don't need you to be stressed out with my problems. The baby doesn't need you stressed."

"Lucas, I need you to let me in." I stared intently into his sad eyes. "I need you to let me be your support. Please, just let me be your rock." I knew I sounded like I was begging, but I needed this from him.

"Brooke, no, I don't want to add more stress than what you already have." Lucas kissed my forehead after speaking. I knew he was trying to make me feel better. To keep me sheltered from his pain, but that's not what I wanted from him. For once, I wanted him to open up to me. This is what led to my insecurities while we were together. He would never open up to me. He never wanted me to feel his pain. He wanted to shelter me from any and all pain together. Instead, he would turn to Peyton instead.

"Lucas, I need this from you." I held onto his hand. I wanted him to know it was okay for me to feel some of his pain as well. It was okay that he didn't carry around all this pain. It was okay to share it with me. To not shelter me from all the emotional stress.

"Brooke, come on," He wrapped his arms around me and started pulling me into his bed. I laid next to him, feeling comforted in his arms. I felt safe and secure as I laid next to him. I wanted to yell and scream at him and ask him why he couldn't just open up to me. Why couldn't he for once share with me what he was feeling? But, I was so safe and comfortable in his arms, I couldn't bring the words to my lips. Instead, I laid there, feeling more and more relaxed. I felt myself drifting off to sleep.

The next morning I woke up to a snoring Lucas. I looked up at him as he laid in a deep slumber. In that moment he looked so childlike. He looked so young and pure as he laid intently sleeping. A smile crept on my lips when he started mumbling in his sleep. When we together I would purposely stay awake just so I could hear him talk in his sleep. I would then use it against him when we would wake up in the morning.

I saw his eyes flutter open as I laid there staring at him. Once he was adjusted to the light, he looked down at me and a smile crept upon his lips. "Morning, Pretty Girl," He spoke and kissed me softly on the forehead. My body went numb. I felt as though the outside world didn't exist and it was only the two of us in the whole universe.

"Are you going to tell me what you were so upset about last night?" I asked, breaking out of my blissful feeling.

"No, Brooke, I don't want to worry you." He kissed my forehead.

"Luke, please, I need you to tell me."

"Why?" Annoyance was evident in his voice as he spoke.

"Because, Luke, why do you think I was so insecure about your feelings for me and your feelings for Peyton." I couldn't contain the anger I was now feeling. I slowly started getting out of bed. He grabbed my hand, trying to pull me back down to him. I shook my hand from his grasp, and stood up right, glaring at him. "You've never been able to open up to me, Luke. You've always just shut me out and took on the burden yourself. I need you to open up and let me be there for you!"

"Why are you getting mad because I want to keep stress out of your life? Because I don't think our baby needs this stress! Because I want to keep you happy and content!" Soon Luke was standing in front of me, angered as well.

"Because!" I threw my hands in the air. "Don't you get it?! I feel like you don't need me! Like I have nothing to offer you. I have to be needed by you, Lucas! I can't just sit there and be sheltered by you just so you can keep stress out of my life! How can I be with someone who doesn't need me?!"

Lucas just stared at me. I knew he didn't know what to say. Which, just fueled my anger even more. "Whatever!" I threw my arms up in defeat, and turned and left his room. I wasn't going to just sit there and wait for him to come up with these perfect words that would just melt my heart and make me give in. Now he knew what I needed, it was up to him to prove to me that he could do it.


	7. Chapter 7

_Lucas_

Brooke's brunette hair swung furiously back and forth as she stormed out of my bedroom. We had made so much progress the day before and I now all of that progress had been thrown out the window. It seemed as though our problems would always be there and we would just have to agree to disagree. It was fine when it was just us, but soon we would have our baby to consider. I didn't want our problems to cause our child any kind of pain. I sat stiffly on my bed, considering running after her. I stared down at the palms of my hands as I threw the idea around in my head. I wasn't going to do it. She needed to explain to me why I was so wrong in what I was doing.

I was confused as to why Brooke was so upset with me. She doesn't need to know my problems because she doesn't need the stress. She needed to stay happy and healthy for our baby. Let me carry the burden of our problems so our baby can come out perfect. I was raised by a woman, and only a woman, so I was the kind of guy that sided and sympathized with one. I felt guilty that she had the burden of carrying my child while I was completely unaffected by it. I needed to take on all of the pain, just so that I could be some what responsible for the pregnancy while she was going through the morning sickness and back aches. So why was she persecuting me for wanting to keep her happy? I didn't understand, and I was feeling as though I would never understand her.

I sighed loudly when I remembered my mother's outburst from the night before. She had caught me off guard by her reaction. I figured she would be mad, but did not think she would react the way she did. I knew she would be disappointed, but to call me a disappointment? A slap in the face would have been better than her calling me a disappointment. She was pregnant though and her raging hormones probably fueled her verbally abusive response. Her behavior lately had been out of character. She was normally the sweet, diligent woman, but lately was rude and indolent.

I went to my closet and started getting dressed. I didn't want to be home when my mom decided to go on another rampage and call me more names that would probably make me cry. I threw on khaki cargo shorts and a white t-shirt. I slipped on flip-flops before heading out my door. It was early in the morning so the dew was still on the ground. The sun was still in the process of rising so orange sun beams could be seen throughout the sky. Birds chirped merrily as they carried on with their business. It was all that my ears could hear except the occasional car driving by.

As I walked towards Peyton's house, I contemplated telling her about Brooke's pregnancy. She needed to know, and I needed to be the one tell her before the news got out at school, and the rumors ran rampant. It would be devastating for her to hear my news from someone else. At the same time, how do you tell your girlfriend that your ex-girlfriend is pregnant by you, especially when the two couldn't bear to be in the same room? My palms started to sweat when the sight of her house was in my view. My legs shook and my heart raced when I arrived at the front door. I stood on the porch and tried calming myself down. I wiped my palms on my shorts, and took in a few deep breaths.

I entered Peyton's house without knocking. She was always home alone, and didn't care if I just walked in. I did, however, knock on her bedroom door before entering. She greeted me with a smile and I kissed her on the forehead before sitting down on the bed next to her. She had been drawing in her sketch pad. Curious, I peaked over her hands to catch a glimpse of the drawing. The sketch wasn't completely done and it wasn't clear what it would be of. Her drawings usually were full of meaning, but there were the occasional few that were just for fun.

"So, what's up?" Peyton asked, smiling widely at me as her eyes sparkled. Her blond curly hair sat gracefully on her shoulders. The urge to reach out and put my fingers through the curls crept through my body, but I pushed the feeling aside. "Why are you up so early?"

"Oh, uh, my mom and I had a fight last night." I shrugged my shoulders and looked away from her, hoping she wouldn't ask me why. The question was inevitable and I tried to brace myself for it by wracking my brain for a response.

"You did?" She seemed surprised. It was rare for my mother and me to fight. It only happened when I acted completely out of line, and this was one of those times. "What did you fight about?" She set her sketch pad on the bed and looked into my eyes, searching for answers. She set her hand gently on my knee to help console me, even though she was nervous about my fight. The apprehension in her eyes was enough to send me over the edge. There was no way I could lie while I was staring into those eyes.

"Um," Lying was not an option anymore. Even a white lie would cause guilt to override my body. Telling the truth proved to be harder than a lie. I shook my leg feverishly and wrung my hands back and forth in my lap. Sweat was starting to drip from my forehead and my heart was pounding once again. "Okay, look, Peyt, this is probably going to hurt you so, if you want to break up with me, I understand but, there is something I have to tell you."

"Okay," Her tone of voice had changed. She was uneasy and fidgeted with her fingers as she pulled her hand from my knee. She flipped her legs over to the side of the bed, so they were now touching the floor. This way she had an easy escape route. She shoved both hands under her legs and turned her head to the side to look at me as she anticipated my news.

"Well here's the thing, this happened before we were together, okay?" Peyton nodded and brought her hands from under her legs to sitting in her lap. "And um, you're probably not going to be too happy about it." I was trying to pad the blow, but there was no way to pad the blow she was about to receive. I scanned the bedroom, trying to keep my eyes from hers as I mustered up all the courage I had and started to talk. "Um, well, Brooke is pregnant." My voice was low and monotone. In a way I hoped she didn't hear it and would just pretend as though she did. I fixated my eyes on the floor as I waited for her reaction. I avoided the eyes that would inescapably be filled with hurt.

"By who?" I finally got the nerve to look into her deep blue eyes. Why would she ask me this when I was telling her Brooke was pregnant? Wasn't it obvious that I was the father? "I mean, she sleeps with so many guys, the father could be just about anyone." I was appalled by her comment. I didn't know how she could say something so horrible about someone she used to call best friend. I tightened my fists as anger over took my body. I could feel my nostrils beginning to flare and the blood rushing to my face.

"Peyton, how could you say that?" I tried to read the expression that was on her face. She was hurt. She was deflecting her pain onto Brooke by convincing herself Brooke was lying. She didn't want to believe I would be in such a predicament.

"It's true, Lucas." She stood up and started pacing, her hands shoved deep in her pockets. "I assume you're going to tell me you're the father?" I nodded my head, not taking my eyes off her. "But how do you know for sure?" She kneeled in front of me so she was at my eye level. Her hands felt cold on my skin as she touched my legs. I didn't know if she was serious, but I didn't like how she was acting. How could she accuse Brooke of lying to me about being the father?

"Peyton, how could you even suggest that?" I felt uncomfortable as she held onto my legs for balance. I stiffened them underneath her touch. Ridding the thought of pushing her hands off my legs, I set my hands over hers. My thumb gently rubbed the back of her hand as I waited for her answer. The thought of being lied to about being a father made me nauseous. I hoped she wouldn't think of doing such a thing, but it was possible.

"Lucas, this is Brooke we're talking about. She manipulates her own parents to get what she wants." She stood up and started pacing around the room again. This time her hands weren't shoved into her pockets; they sat contently on her hips as they swayed back and forth. "She's probably lying to you about even being pregnant. This is probably just her way of trying to win you back. Did she ever tell you that the only reason why she got with you in the first place was because she wanted to get revenge on me?" She turned to look at me with her last question. I felt uneasy as she waited for me to answer her. I fixated my eyes on a picture on the wall and started to play with the hem of my shorts.

"She mentioned it." I shook my head, trying to deny all of these accusations. I didn't want to believe that _my_ pretty girl was capable of such manipulative measures. I didn't want to believe that this girl I was once madly in love with and still loved would do such a thing to me. If it were true, why would she be fighting so hard to keep me out of her life? But, why would Peyton be feeding me all of these things? Peyton wouldn't lie about such an important issue.

A wave of nausea passed over my body forcing me to stand up. The room started spinning, and I started to feel trapped. The walls seemed to be closing in, and I had to struggle to stay standing. I had to get out of that room, of that house. I rushed from Peyton's bedroom, not saying a word as I did so. I ran as fast as my legs would take me until I finally reached the river court. I sat at the picnic table with my head in my hands. I shook my head back and forth as I tried to sort through the thoughts I was having. Why would Peyton, who was my girlfriend, lie to me about Brooke manipulating me? But then again, why would Brooke lie to me about her pregnancy, yet still fight with me about being in her life? I was overwhelmed with this new information and didn't know who I could turn to.

I looked out at the river as it rushed along. The blue green water passed along the rocks on the shoreline. Bubbles could be seen where fish were swimming beneath the water. The sun was no longer out as clouds had taken over the sky and threatened rain. The river looked dreary and dull from the lack of life that surrounded it. Fall had begun to set in and caused the plant life on the shore to die out. Different colors of browns danced along the river banks. A yell escaped my lungs as I looked up at the clouds, frustrated with my life.


	8. Chapter 8

_Thanks for the reviews! Thank-you to my beta Angie! I don't know when the next time I will be able to update is because I have a tests in microbiology and anatomy/physiology next week so lots of studying needs to be done! Hopefully I can make some time though. Halfway through the chapter, it switches to Lucas' POV...it'll tell you when! _

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_Brooke_

The school came into clearer view with each step I took. I decided to walk today rather than drive my car. Students were parking their cars and socializing with their friends. Each one was bundled in a jacket, trying to escape the cool air. Muffled laughs could be heard in the distance. I watched as each one went on with their business. Scampering about, finding their friends, heading into the school. I wondered if each one of them had their own problems like I had. Were they getting bad grades, breaking up with boyfriends, having pregnancy scares?

A week had passed since I last talked to Lucas. He didn't make an attempt to call me, or even talk to me during school. My heart felt heavy whenever I thought that maybe I had finally pushed him so far away that now he was done fighting back.

As I entered the school, I started feeling nervous. When I saw Haley standing near my locker, the tension released. Her lips spread wide in a smile when she saw me heading towards her. My best friend waved her small hand at me. Excitement was radiating from her body. She couldn't stand still and shifted from one foot to the other. The excited girl clasped her hands in front of her and then put them back down to her sides. She wrapped her arms around me in a hug once I was in reaching distance.

She stared at me without saying a word expecting me to ask her why she was so excited. She was about to burst from having to contain the news she had to tell me for so long. I playfully ignored her as I opened my locker and started pulling books out. A devilish grin danced across my face as I hid my head in my locker.

"Brooke!" She squealed and tapped my back.

"Hm?" I continued to ignore her on purpose. All of my books were in my hands, so I stood motionless behind the locker door.

"Brooke!" She grabbed my arm forcefully and pulled me out of the shelter of my locker. My giggling was uncontrollable as she looked at me, annoyed. She slapped me playfully in the arm. "You were ignoring me?" Her face turned sad and tears started to pool in her eyes.

"Oh Haley!" I quit laughing, turning my voice to a soothing tone. Rubbing her arm gently, I spoke, "I'm sorry. I was only joking. I'm really interested in what you have to tell me. I'm so sorry." She sniffled as I tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

Her face went blank, before turning to an evil smirk. She pointed her finger at me, "Got ya!" She laughed. I nudged her with my shoulder and started laughing with her.

Once the laughing died down, she started fidgeting again. Haley was excited about whatever news it was. "Guess what?!" Her voice was just below a yell. Grabbing my shoulders and forcing me to look at her, she put her mouth up to my ear. "Nathan and I got married." Her voice was just above a whisper as she spoke directly into my ear. Haley shoved her ring finger into my face. Her eyes studied my face as she anticipated a reaction.

I grabbed Haley's hands and stared at the diamond ring that was gracing her finger. I let out a high-pitched squeal, and started jumping up and down. Then, I wrapped my arms tightly around her rocking her from side to side. "Congratulations!" I didn't know how to feel about her being married, but knew she needed my support anyways. I released her from the hug and gave her the biggest smile I could manage. "Why didn't you tell anyone? Hello, I would have liked to be the maid of honor!"

"Well, it was so spur of the moment, and we couldn't really tell anyone." She beamed as she spoke.

"Hey girls." I was startled to hear anyone else talking to us. We had been so engulfed in what we were doing we had forgotten everyone else. My eyes caught Lucas' as he stood next to us. A small smile was on his lips when I looked up at him. A nervous smile appeared on mine and just as fast as it appeared, it disappeared.

"Hey Lukey duke," Haley chuckled and hugged Lucas. He rolled his eyes at her for the nickname she had just used. She started brushing the wrinkles out of his shirt and then pulled some lint from it. I shook my head and giggled at her actions. She was Tutor wife now.

"So, what are we so happy about?" Lucas asked as he smacked Haley's hand away. She stuck her tongue out at him, and he returned the gesture.

Lucas' intoxicating scent was all I could smell when students walked passed us and wafted it in my direction. My hands started to shake and sweat as my nerves got the better of me. My legs slowly started losing their strength, and soon I was going to need to lean against something for support. Only Lucas had this effect over me.

"Oh nothing," Haley finally responded to his question. Her eyes darted around the hallway; making it obvious she was lying. She was nervous about telling him because of the strained relationship he had with his brother. She held up her ring finger and mouthed the words "I'm married." A nervous smile crept on her lips.

Lucas' mouth dropped open in surprise. His body stiffened as he stood there with his mouth agape. Haley snapped her fingers in front of his face, bringing him out of his shocked state. He shook his head and then pulled Haley into a tight embrace. His eyes were on me as he hugged her.

"Wow, Haley," He slowly broke from his embrace with her, kissing her forehead. "Um, Congrats, I guess." He shook her shoulder affectionately. "Are you sure that was a smart thing to do?" He brought his hand up to the back of his neck and started rubbing. A gesture he always did when he was nervous or confused.

"Lucas, I love Nathan." She gave him a stern look. "I know we're young, but we're the only family we have now." The tension between the two could be cut with a knife. I started feeling uncomfortable standing there. This was a conversation they needed to have alone.

"Well, I'm going to class." I shoved my thumb in the direction of my classroom.

"No, Brooke, stay, please." Haley was practically begging as she grabbed my arm to make me stay.

"Yeah, Brooke, what do you think about this?" Lucas didn't sound or look pleasant.

"You two are friends and you're going to have to work this out. Don't drag me in the middle." I held my hands up and gave them both pointed looks. Turning on my heel, I headed towards my classroom.

"Hey Brooke," An unfamiliar face stared back at me as I looked over my shoulder to see who was talking. He stuck his hand out, "I'm Felix." I glanced down at his hand and then back at his face. I cocked my eyebrows at him, and then turned my attention back to the front of the classroom.

"Okay," Felix snickered. "Let me try this again," The stranger tapped my shoulder and I turned to look at him. He stuck his hand out once again, "I'm Felix."

"Do I know you?" I raised an eyebrow at him.

"No," He shook his head with a smile. Felix's face illuminated with his smile. He was an attractive guy. Brown eyes beamed with seduction and enhanced his looks. His hair matched his eye color and was cut short and spiked. The lips that sat on his face were in a perfect pout, the bottom sticking out only a little bit more.

"You should go out with me on Friday." Arrogance dripped from his words. Cocky attitudes had always been a turn on for me. Had I been in a different situation, I probably would have agreed to the date.

"I don't think so." I scoffed at him. I shook my head and looked away from him.

"Yeah, I think you want to." He surprised me with his words.

"You know, usually when you are turned down, you're supposed to walk away with your dignity still intact." My head turned back to him, and my eyes got caught up in his gaze. "So, no, I really don't want to." I shifted in my seat so my body was facing the opposite direction.

Lucas walked into the classroom, his eyes transfixed on the stranger sitting next to me. There was an unpleasant look on his face as he got closer to his seat. He set his books down on the desk Felix was sitting in and glared down at him.

"This is my seat." There was so much annoyance in his voice that even the deafest person could detect it. Felix rolled his eyes and then winked at me. He stood up from the desk, and grabbed my hand. He scribbled something down and then headed back towards his seat.

"Pick you up at eight," he called over his shoulder while walking away. I started to object, but stopped because I knew he wouldn't hear me. I looked at my hand to see a phone number written down.

"Who was that?" Lucas asked as he sat in his seat, his hand sitting on my arm. The jealousness in his voice was evident, and I wanted to burst into a fit of giggles from it.

I shrugged my shoulders and turned away from him with a smile plastered on my face. The teacher walked into the classroom and started with his lecture. I could feel Lucas' eyes on me as I stared at the teacher who was writing on the board.

A note flew over my arm as I was scribbling down notes from the lecture. Lucas gestured for me to read the note as I looked at him, puzzled. I rolled my eyes and let out a soft sigh as I carefully opened the note. The threat of the teacher reading your note out loud scared anyone, and they knew to open it quietly.

_'Who was that guy? '_

I rolled my eyes again, annoyed he would even ask. I scribbled down Felix's name and threw the note back to him. The lecture was beyond boring, and it took all of my concentration to pay attention.

* * *

A/N: Just to let you know, this goes to Lucas' point of view and it goes back to when Brooke was walking away from him.

_

* * *

_

_Lucas_

I watched Brooke's hips swayed as she walked away. With each step she took, the hair that hung down from the pony tail swayed to the side. Her body seemed to glide along as if she were floating on air. I couldn't peel my eyes away from her perfectly sculpted rear end. Every part of her body seemed to be perfect.

I was avoiding the topic at hand. Haley's hand waving in my face brought me back to reality. "We need to talk about this, Lucas, but if you just want to keep staring at Brooke's butt, then I can leave you alone." She crossed her arms against her chest. She was a very stubborn person, and there was no way she was going to admit what she did was wrong.

"Hales, I just think you're young...and Nathan?" My hand laid on her shoulder.

She sighed, turning her head to the side. She thought for a moment, and then turned back to me. "Lucas, you guys have been getting along really well lately. I don't know what the problem is." She uncrossed her arms and placed them on her hips. "We love each other, and he's the only person I want to be with for the rest of my life."

"Yeah, well, I don't agree with it." I shrugged my shoulders, and stared into her eyes. Haley's temper was beginning to flare, but she was trying to hold it back. "You're young, and yes, Nathan has changed, but, for how long, Hales? You've seen who he was raised by."

"Listen, why don't you just come talk to me when you've decided to get over this. Until then, don't bother." She finally snapped. She turned swiftly, her hair whipping around, and stalked away.

The rest of my day was miserable. Nathan and Haley being married was on my mind all day, and it was driving me crazy. To top it off, I walked into my first hour class to find someone hitting on Brooke. It wasn't until last period that my day started looking up. Brooke passed me a note, telling me I could take her to her doctor's appointment. After that, my spirits lifted, and I seemed to have forgotten about Nathan and Haley, and someone hitting on Brooke.

As I pulled into Brooke's driveway at exactly 3:30, as she had instructed, I started to get nervous. My body seemed to be sweating uncontrollably. I applied some deodorant that I just so happened to have in my truck, and then walked up to her house. I knocked on the red door that decorated the front of the house. She came to the door, smiling that dimpled smile she had.

"Hold on, I'll be right out." She instructed me. I headed back towards the truck, waiting for her to join me. It wasn't long before she was hopping into the passenger side. The ride there was quiet and awkward. Neither of us spoke very much. . The desire to ask her if she was lying to me about the child being mine was in the back of my mind. It had dawned on me that I never questioned her about it. I never felt like I had to until Peyton brought it to my attention. It seemed like a rude question to ask, so I pushed it as far out of my head as I could.

Once at the clinic, Brooke led me in the right direction. She checked in and then we waited to be called back. It was twenty minutes before someone called Brooke's name. As I stood up to follow her back, my knees started to shake. It was the first time I had been to one of the doctor's appointments, and I didn't know what was going to happen.

"Hello, Brooke." The nurse spoke with a smile. She got Brooke's weight and then made her pee in a cup. After this, we walked to the room and she then took her blood pressure and started asking her questions. "So, how have you been feeling?"

"Good, actually, I haven't been sick in like a week." Brooke's smile was brighter than I had ever seen it as she talked to the nurse about her pregnancy.

"Any movement yet?" The nurse asked after jotting down some notes.

"No, should I be feeling movement?" Brooke's face turned from pure joy to concern.

"No, no," The nurse shook her head, "If this wasn't your first pregnancy you _might_ be feeling some movement. But, for now, since you haven't experienced this before, it'll probably feel like gas to you." Brooke's face turned red and she looked at me. I smiled and grabbed her hand to reassure her she had nothing to be embarrassed about. "You should start feeling some movement soon, though."

Brooke clapped her hands and smiled at the same time. "I'm what, four months now?" Brooke had waited awhile before admitting to herself she was pregnant. She had missed her period for three months, before coming and telling me of her suspicions.

The nurse looked through the folder, and then nodded her head. "Seems as though you are. If the date you gave us for your last period is correct, then yep, four months...or sixteen weeks." She scribbled some more notes into the file, and then left the room, after telling us the doctor would be in shortly to examine Brooke.

"I can't wait to feel it move!" She wrapped her arms around my neck tightly. "That's going to be so exciting!" She let go of my neck and sat against the back of the chair. I brought her hand up my lips. I kissed it, and then set it back down, not letting go.

"_I_ can't wait to feel it move.".

The doctor knocked before entering the room. He introduced himself to me and then sat in the stool next to Brooke. "How have you been feeling, Brooke?"

"Good," She said with a nod.

"Good," He smiled, "You're sixteen weeks along, so you're now in the second trimester. This trimester will probably be the most comfortable for you. Do you have any questions?"

Brooke simply shook her head, "Nope."

"Okay, well, don't be afraid to ask. Today, we're only going to listen to the heartbeat, and then you can be on your way. But, next month you're going to need an ultrasound. So, don't forget to schedule that when you schedule your appointment. Are you interested in knowing the sex of your baby?"

Brooke looked at me, and shrugged her shoulders. "I guess we haven't really talked about it." She turned back towards the doctor.

"Okay, well, you have a month to decide." He smiled. "Why don't you hop up on the examining table and pull your shirt up just below your bra and your jeans down as far as you can."

Brooke did as told. She gestured for me to stand next to her, and I did as she asked. I grabbed her hand, anticipating the sound of my little baby's heartbeat. The doctor pulled out some gel and then something that looked like a microphone. He put the gel on the tip of the device and then started rubbing it around on Brooke's abdomen. Brooke's heartbeat could be heard plain as day. It took a lot of maneuvering by the doctor to find the faint, rapid heartbeat of the tiny human being living inside.

I squeezed Brooke's hand tighter as the rhythmic thump of the heartbeat echoed throughout the room. Before, it was hard to imagine something growing inside of Brooke's tummy that still showed no signs of pregnancy, but now I was listening to what was inside there. I looked down at Brooke, who had tears running out of the corners of her eyes. I pushed the hair back on her forehead before leaning down to kiss it, fighting tears myself.


	9. Chapter 9

Thanks again for the reviews! 

_Brooke_

The sunlight from outside beamed through my bedroom window, waking me up. A yawn escaped my mouth as I stretched. The bed felt so comfortable and warm that I didn't want to move. It was Saturday, and I had the whole day to myself. Haley had invited me over to her house and we were going to watch movies all day. The thought of no worries for a day gave me the energy to get out of bed.

My mother poked her head into my bedroom, startling me enough to make me jump. They were out of town for the past three weeks, and I didn't know they arrived home. "Brooke, sorry to wake you, but, I just wanted to let you know that we're home." She entered my room the rest of the way and sat on the bed.

"I was beginning to think you guys were never coming home." I spoke, picking out clothes from my closet. "Where are you off to next?"

"Brooke," She gave me a pointed look. My mother always had a professional look about her. Even as she talked to me, her voice was very mellow and business-like. She was very prim and proper and always wore a dress suit that was perfectly pressed. "Your father and I would like to have dinner with you tonight."

"So much for no worries." The words I spoke were barely audible so that she couldn't hear them. "Okay," I put on a fake smile. She returned the smile and excused herself from my room.

After finding clothes to wear, I took a shower and got dressed. As I headed toward Haley's apartment, I decided to stop at Lucas' house first. The modest house sat behind trees and was comfortable and inviting. I knocked softly and Karen answered the door.

"Hi, Karen," My knees shook as she stood in front of me. Lucas had never told me much about Karen's reaction, but gave little hints that she was not happy about my pregnancy.

"Brooke," Her eyebrow cocked as she eyed me. "Come in, it's cold out there." She held the door open and I entered the house, standing nervously in the living room. "Are you looking for Lucas?"

"Um, actually, Karen, I kinda wanted to talk to you." I dug my toe into the ground as I talked to her. Clasping my hands in front of me, I looked up to see her reaction. She didn't look mad, just concerned.

"Sure, Brooke," As I followed her into the kitchen, Lucas came out of the bathroom. His toned body dripped with water and he was wearing only a towel. My eyes grew wide, and it took every ounce of my being to tear my eyes away. I snuck another glance at him and a smirk formed on his mouth.

He walked towards us, making me sweat. "Hey Brooke," He hugged me and kissed my forehead. The smell of a newly showered Lucas sent shivers down my spine and goose bumps formed all over my body. "Why are you here so early?" The thought that he was teasing me with his half naked body flashed through my mind as he stood next to me, arm around my shoulders.

"I um, ahem, uh, what? Oh, right," The words wouldn't form and I stuttered incoherently. His bare chest was rubbing against my side, and it was all I could think of. "I wanted to talk to your mom." Gaining my composure, I nodded my head in Karen's direction.

"Oh," His arm dropped from my shoulders. "Okay." He smiled a nervous smile, and started back towards his bedroom. "I'll be out in a sec." He called over his shoulder.

"Brooke, come, sit." Karen patted the spot next to her in the kitchen. She had already gotten a drink for the both of us. A pleasant smile was on my face as I took the seat next to her. I took a slow sip of water, trying to find the words I wanted to say.

"Well, Brooke, what is it you wanted to talk about?" She wasn't going to beat around the bush. My heart beat started racing the longer I sat next to her without saying a word.

"Okay," I played with my fingers and didn't look her in the eye. Karen was an intimidating woman, even though she was much smaller than me. "Well, obviously you know about…." My eyes looked towards my belly as I trailed off. "And, um, I felt like I should come and apologize for how careless Lucas and I were." I locked eyes with Karen, so she knew I was serious.

"Brooke, honey," She put her hand over mine, causing me to stop fidgeting, "I know I snapped on Lucas, and I apologized to him for that. I know now that you guys made a simple mistake." This was a softer side of Karen that I had never seen before.

"But, it was a HUGE mistake." The words 'HUGE mistake' didn't seem to fit now that I was so attached to the baby that was growing in my tummy.

"Brooke," She let out a sigh, "You know, I thought the same thing when I got pregnant with Lucas. Not at first, because I was in love with Dan." She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. "But when Dan decided he wanted nothing to do with us, I thought it was a huge mistake. But it turned out to be the best thing of my life." Tears were now falling from my own eyes. "I've apologized over and over to Lucas about yelling at him, but now, I want to apologize to you, Brooke." A soft smile slowly appeared on her face.

"Karen, you don't need to apologize to me." I wiped the tears from my cheeks. "I've ruined Lucas' life." A sob escaped my mouth.

"Oh, Brooke, honey," She leaned over and wrapped her arms around me. "Brooke, you haven't ruined anyone's life. I promise you that. Lucas loves you, and he already loves that baby to death." My heart fluttered and it felt like butterflies were in my stomach. '_Lucas had told his mom he loved me? ' _I thought to myself

"Am I interrupting something?" Lucas opened the refrigerator and pulled out a box of orange juice. "Oh no, two pregnant chicks. I better leave." He joked as he poured the orange juice into a glass.

"You better get used to crying." Karen pulled away from our hug, and wiped the final tears from her face. "You think we're bad, wait till you have a baby here."

"There'll be two babies here, mom." Lucas pointed to her stomach. Karen's abdomen was still flat, showing no signs of a pregnancy.

"Oh great," She laughed while standing up and leaving the kitchen.

"What are you doing today?" Lucas took the seat his mother had just been sitting in.

"Going to Haley's to watch movies, want to come?" I grabbed his orange juice and took a big gulp. He laughed as I set it down. "What? I wanted some orange juice."

"I don't think I should." Underneath the table, his foot bumped into mine. I playfully pushed it back with my foot, and Lucas started laughing. "You know, Pretty girl, I would love to go, but we're not on the best of terms right now."

"Lucas, she's your best friend. You guys got to get over this sometime. And what better time than now?" I grabbed his arm as I stood up.

"Well, I was supposed to hang out with Peyton today."

"Oh," I let his arm drop.

"But, that can wait." He stood up with a smile on his face. Lucas wrapped an arm around my shoulders and led me out the door, but not before yelling to him mom where he was going. His arm stayed in the same spot the whole walk to Haley's house. It didn't leave until we were standing in Nathan and Haley's living room.

The tension in the room was so thick it could have been cut with a knife. Haley had told Nathan about Lucas' reaction to their marriage, and he was mad. He wanted to say something to Lucas, but wasn't because of Haley. The married couple made it apparent they didn't want Lucas in their house.

"So, this is fun!" I giggled, and plopped down on the couch. "Nathan, put in a movie. But not a basketball or gory one. Like, The Notebook or something."

"Hold on," Lucas stopped him from putting a movie in. "I just wanted to apologize to you two, first. My reaction was totally out of line, and if you're happy, then so am I." He gave them a weak smile.

Haley jumped up and then ran towards Lucas, wrapping him in a bear hug. Nathan looked hesitant to accept Lucas' apology. He knew Haley would be mad if he alienated his half-brother, so bumped fists with him, accepting his apology. Lucas let out a sigh of relief, and then plopped down on the couch next to me. As I leaned into his side, he wrapped an arm around my shoulder.

Half way through the first movie, there was a knock at the door. Nathan got up to answer it. "Peyton?" He asked. Lucas snatched his arm out from around my neck and shot up from the couch. He was too late though, the face Peyton had made it clear she had seen how we were sitting. Lucas went and kissed her lips, pretending as though nothing was wrong.

_

* * *

_

_Lucas_

Peyton's face was unpleasant and she had her arms crossed tightly against her chest. I diverted my eyes from her icy glare and checked Brooke, to make sure she was okay. Peyton noticed my glance at Brooke, and grew angrier than she had been.

"So, Brooke, how have you been?" Peyton spoke in a fake tone of voice. She sat down next to Brooke and slung her arm around Brooke's shoulders.

"Great, until you got here." Brooke shook Peyton's arm off her shoulders, and stood up. She stood next to me, as she and Peyton glared at each other.

"Um, we're gonna…" Haley started speaking, but couldn't come up with an excuse to leave.

"To…THE PARK!" Nathan grabbed Haley's hand and drug her from the apartment.

The thought of following them crossed my mind, but I had to make sure these two girls weren't going to kill each other. The last two these two were in the same room, one ended up with a black eye and the other ended up with a fat lip. This situation was looking like it was going to end the same way. Peyton was now standing with her hands on her hips. Brooke, not one to back down, stood in the same position, holding Peyton's angered glare.

"Look, Peyton," I began, "This isn't what it looks like. We were just hanging out, watching a movie."

"Oh really?" Peyton's cold stare now turned towards me. "It looked like you were cuddling on the couch with her. So, what, I guess that was just an illusion?" She threw her arms around in the air as she spoke.

"No," My head shook, "We were, uh, I just," An excuse wouldn't come to mind. There was no excuse for me sitting on the couch so close to Brooke, with my arm wrapped around her.

"We were making-out earlier, where were you for that?" Brooke sneered. My eyes grew wide, and I looked at Brooke, questioningly. She shrugged her shoulders, and looked away from me.

"Oh yeah?" Peyton walked towards Brooke until she was standing only inches apart from her. "Well, Lucas doesn't think you're pregnant by him."

"What?" Brooke looked confused. She furrowed her brow, and set her eyes on me. "You don't think you're the dad?"

"No, he doesn't" Peyton backed off, putting her hands on her hips. A pleased smile was on her face.

"Peyton, shut up." I snapped at her. "Brooke, I never said that." My hands found hers, and I held on tight, staring into her eyes. "I would never question you about that."

"Yeah, right." Peyton snickered. "He told me yesterday he didn't think he was the dad. And now today he's cuddling with you. What are you trying to do, Lucas? Play both of us?"

Panic rushed through my body as Peyton spewed these lies. Brooke's body was tense, and she had pulled her hands from my grasp. Peyton stood back and watched as she destroyed the friendship Brooke and I had been building. In that moment I saw Peyton in a new light. She looked cold and evil.

Brooke was expecting an answer as she stood with her arms across her chest. "I'm not trying to play either of you." My hands flew up in self-defense. "I'm trying to build a healthy relationship with the mother of my child and trying to have a relationship with you, Peyton." I pointed my finger at her.

"Oh yeah, because it looked like to me you were trying to have a relationship with Brooke, too." Peyton was accusing me again. "Who, you don't even think IS the mother of your child."

Brooke's face was now full of tears. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her into my chest. Rubbing the back of her head, I glared at Peyton. "Go wait for me outside." My teeth were gritted as I talked. Brooke's body shook as I rubbed her back. "Brooke, shh, she's lying. I told you, I would never question you about this. Don't listen to her, she's just trying to hurt you."

After calming Brooke down, I went to find Peyton. She was standing right outside the door when I walked outside. I pointed towards the parking lot, and led her in that direction. Crossing my arms against my chest, I glared at her and waited for her explanation. She returned my glare, not saying a word.

"What the hell was that?!" My anger boiled over as I snapped on Peyton. "Why would you tell her that shit, Peyton?!" My arms flew around, adding emphasis to my words.

"Because you know you're thinking it." She shrugged, as though it were no big deal.

"She doesn't need to hear that shit, Peyton." I shoved my thumb in the direction of Brooke. "You should get the hell out of here. How could you accuse me of playing you AND Brooke?" My anger faded, and now I only felt numb. My body felt too tired to argue anymore.

"Lucas, I didn't mean it." Peyton's tone softened. "I was just upset when I saw you with Brooke." She started towards me and wrapped her arms around my waist.

"Don't, Peyton." I pushed her away. "You can't just tell me you're sorry and expect me to just give in."

"Lucas, I'm SORRY. I don't know what else to say." She put her finger to her mouth and started chewing on a nail. She knew I couldn't resist her when she did this.

"You really messed things up, you know that?" She came towards me again, and I let her wrap her arms around my waist. A frustrated sigh fell from my lips, and I rested my forehead against hers.

"I'm sorry, Lucas, but how would you react if you caught me cuddling with an ex?" She pulled away.

"Peyton, Brooke's carrying my child." I grabbed both of her arms. "You have to understand that. I'm trying to build a strong friendship so that our child won't suffer. I know it looked worse than what it was, but I care about her. I want to keep her safe and protected." Peyton put her head on my shoulder, and wrapped her arms around me again.

"I know, Lucas," She sighed, "I just get jealous of that." She pulled away and put her fingers to her ear and started tugging.

Having Peyton snuggled up in my arms felt good. She was an amazing person that did bad things sometimes. Nobody was perfect, and Peyton never claimed to be. Every time I would have a problem, though, she would throw all her troubles aside, and help me deal with mine. My arms wrapped around her neck, as she leaned against my chest. Her blond curls tickled my nose, but the smell of her hair made it worth putting up with.

She pulled away from my body and kissed me. "I'll let you go be with Brooke, but call me tonight, okay?" I nodded my head and gave her a kiss before walking back to the apartment.

Brooke was cuddled up with a pillow on the couch when I entered the apartment. She looked up at me with blood shot eyes. Her make-up was smeared down her face from crying. Sitting down on the couch next to her, I pulled her against my chest. She grabbed a hold of my shirt and buried her face into my chest. I put my hand on the back of her head and rubbed it, as I let her cry.

She pulled her face away. "You really don't think this is your kid, do you?" Brooke didn't look at me as she spoke. Her hands were furiously wiping tears from her face.

"Brooke, I never said that." I grabbed her chin and pulled it towards me.

"But you've though it." She pushed me away from her as she stood up from the couch. "You know, if you really wanted to know, why didn't you just ask me?"

"Brooke, I never said I didn't think it was my kid." As I tried putting my arms out to grab her, she shoved them away.

"It doesn't matter if you've never SAID it, Luke!" She paced the room, hands on her hips. Brooke stopped pacing and looked at me. "I think it's best if you don't talk to me for a while. I'll let you know when the baby is born." With that, she stormed from the apartment.


	10. Chapter 10

_Lucas_

Brooke stuck true to her word. Every day I would try to talk to her, and every day she would ignore me. I would stop her in the hallway and tell her I was sorry, only to be brushed off as though I weren't there. Every night I would dial her number only to get her voice mail or a parent telling me she wasn't home. She had the right to be angry, but she definitely could hold a grudge.

Peyton hadn't bugged me about the paternity of the child and was being extremely supportive of my feelings. She would let me cry on her shoulder or just sit in silence if that was what I needed. I would sit in her room every day after school and read books. There was no expectations for me, and I felt like I could just relax.

It had now been almost a month later as I sat on Peyton's bed, reading a book. The impending ultra sound wouldn't leave my mind as I tried to come up with ways to get Brooke to let me go. Like always there wasn't much conversation between the two of us, and I didn't mind that. Our silence was comfortable. Being around her was like being by myself, only with company. Every once in a while she would situate herself in her chair, and make a noise. That had been the only noise made in the last thirty minutes.

She turned around in her computer chair, causing me to look up. There was a weak smile on her face as she stood up and came and sat by me on the bed. Her lips pressed quickly against mine in a quick peck. "What's going on, Scott?" She questioned.

"Nothing," I gave her my most convincing smile. She returned my smile, and kissed me once again. With a swift move, she brought her leg over me and straddled my hips. "Mmm." I let a moan escape from my mouth. A smile appeared on her lips as she brought her face closer to mine and kissed me.

Peyton's hands found the back of my head and she held on, pulling me closer to her. Soft moans were coming from her lips between kisses. Each kiss she gave me would be more passionate than the last. My hands caressed her back. I trailed them from her shoulder blades to her pants line. Her kisses started to slow and become shallow. She pulled her head back, and looked me in the eyes.

"There's something going on." She placed her hand on the side of my face. "You've barely spoke since you've been here." Her blue eyes twinkled as she smiled. I could feel her finger outlining the shape of my ear.

"It's nothing. Really." I leaned in and kissed her, trying to deepen it again. She sealed her mouth, not allowing my tongue to enter, and pushed me back. Out of frustration, I turned my head to the side.

"Lucas, don't lie to me." Her hand came up to my face, and grabbed me by the chin. She gently turned my face towards her, forcing me to look at her. "You can tell me."

"There's nothing wrong, Peyton, and I don't really want to talk about." I turned my face from her, forcing it out of her grasp. My hands dropped from her back to my sides.

"So there is something wrong." Her hands once again found their way to my face. This time both of her hands were on each side of my face. "Lucas, please don't shut me out. We've always been able to talk. You've always let me vent, please vent to me." There was urgency and pleading in her eyes that made me feel guilty. "I love you, Lucas, you know that. You can tell me anything."

"I know, Peyton, and I love you too." I sighed and rubbed the back of my neck. "I just don't want to talk about it. So please, let it go."

"Fine," She huffed, and pulled herself off my lap. Peyton indignantly shuffled back to her computer. Her arm reached up and turned her webcam on. I pushed myself up from the bed and went to stand behind her. My hand found her shoulder, and my thumb started making slow strokes against her bare skin.

"Please, just tell me what's wrong with you." Peyton started sniffling. She turned her body too look at me. There were a line of tears streaking each cheek. I reached my hand out and wiped the tears from her face with my thumb.

"Peyton, there's really nothing to talk about." I gave her a weak smile. "Don't get so upset over this, okay?"

"But, I'm worried Lucas." More tears ran down her face.

"Peyton, just let it go, please." I walked away from her towards the bed. Picking up the book I had left on the bed, I stood staring at her. "I don't want to talk about it, damn it."

"Why are you getting so mad, Lucas?" She stood up too, and started walking to the side of the bed I was on. "I'm just asking you what's going on. I'm not accusing you of cheating on me or something."

"Well I told you the first time there was nothing wrong. Why can't you just leave it alone?" My arms flew into the air with frustration.

Her face sank, and tears formed in her eyes. Anger started take over me. She came to me, and wrapped her arms around my neck. I let her stand there and embrace me. Peyton started sniffling, and I could feel her hot tears falling onto my shoulder. Guilt should have been taking over my emotions but instead, I was only getting angrier.

"I don't mean to push you, Lucas, I just want you to be able to talk to me." She had pulled her head back to look into my face. Her eyes were bloodshot, and there was make-up running down her cheeks. "I know you're frustrated over Brooke, but why do you have to take it out on me?" She went to the bedside to grab a Kleenex to wipe her face and nose with.

"I'm not really in the mood to go through this with you right now." I turned my back on her, ready to leave.

"Do not leave this room, Lucas." Her voice was low, and more like a growl. "Don't leave this room mad."

The urge to leave out of spite passed through my mind. "Excuse me?" I turned around to look at her. "Peyton, I don't want to fight. I'm sick of fighting." She chewed on her nails as she stared at me.

"Just tell me, Lucas." Her arms dropped to her sides. "Tell me what's wrong. If it's Brooke, I'll be okay with it. I promise." She knew she was defeated. "I know you think this is your child so you're probably frustrated she's not talking to you. It's okay, I won't be mad."

"_Think, _Peyton, _think_ it's my child?" My body started to shake with anger. My jaw tightened, and I spoke through clenched teeth. "When are you going to get it through your head that it is my child?!"

"Don't get mad at me for thinking that." Peyton pointed her finger at me while she talked. Her face was now flush with anger. "I know Brooke. I know how she is. Much more than you do. Brooke gets what she wants, when she wants."

"If that's how it was, why would she be pushing me away?" My arms flew out in frustration. "Why would she be forcing me out of her life _and_ the baby's life?!" I shoved my thumb in the direction I thought Brooke would be.

"It's just how she is, Luke." Frustrated, Peyton threw herself onto the bed. She stared up at the ceiling with her arms over her abdomen.

"You obviously don't know her very well." I turned to leave once again.

"You obviously don't know her very well." The sound of the bed squeaking indicated she was starting to sit up and I turned to look at her. "She's playing you like a fool, Luke. You're falling right into her trap." She had a nonchalant look on her face as she accused me of being Brooke's toy. It was as if she was accusing me of not having a brain.

"What are you talking about, Peyton?! If anyone is playing me, it's you! Trying to put all these ideas in my head about the baby not being mine!" My nostrils flared, and I could feel my ears getting hot. The vein in my forehead throbbed, as the blood rushed to my face. "You know she obviously cared a lot about you at one point and you're here slamming on her."

"ME?!" She stood up from the bed, and pointed her fingers at herself. "I'm trying to look out for you and all you're doing is defending the bitch!" Her body was tense and the veins in her neck were starting to show. "Are you still in love with her?" Peyton's tone softened with her question.

"Damn it, Peyton!" Once again I threw my hands in the air.

"What, Lucas?!" The blue eyes that were once sparkled when they saw me, were now beady and full of anger. The perfect blond curls that adorned her head, now seemed flat and frizzy. She was starting to look different to me.

"Why would you say that to me?" My eyes fell to the floor, avoiding her angered stare. I reached my hand up to the back of my neck, and started to rub the hair that was there.

"Why won't you just answer the question?" She reached her hand out, and touched my arm. I looked up at her, sadness in my eyes. Tears started to pool in them. Air caught in my lungs as I tried to answer her question the way she wanted to hear it.

"I can't." A whisper was all I could manage, before I turned around and left her room.

_Brooke_

My hand grazed the tiny bump that had formed on my belly as I laid on my bed, reading a pregnancy book. The phone ringing startled me out of my thoughts. Reaching across the bed, I picked up the cell phone that sat on my bedside table. I pushed the talk button and put it up to my ear. "Hello?"

"Brooke?" The voice sounded slightly familiar, but I couldn't place it.

"This is her." I responded.

"Yeah, hi," The woman sounded nervous and there was a long pause. "This is Karen."

"Oh hey, Karen." I smiled, forgetting she couldn't see me through the phone. "Thanks for calling."

"Yeah, look, Brooke, I know you don't want Lucas to know about this." She stopped for a moment. "But, um, if he asks, I have to tell him."

"I understand, Karen." My stomach seemed to drop into my stomach. "I really appreciate this."

"Well, I'm glad you're going to let me be a part of my grandchild's life, even though you are Lucas aren't getting along."

"Yeah." I rolled my eyes, and looked at my fingernails. "So, um, can you pick me up at say, around four tomorrow?"

I gave her some more details, and then threw the phone back on the bedside table. As I was about to sit back down on the bed, there was a faint knock at my door. My feet carried me to the door, where I looked out the window to see who it was. My temper flared when I saw Lucas standing there. I opened the door with force, ready to yell at the blond hair boy. Rage turned to pity when I saw his blood shot eyes staring back at me.

"Lucas?" I asked. He didn't respond. Without warning, he wrapped his arms around me and started crying into my shoulder. My arms wrapped around him out of reflex, leaving no time to talk myself out of it. "What's the matter, Lucas?" I knew I shouldn't give him another chance, but he had this sort of power over me I couldn't resist.

He pulled away from me, embarrassed. His hands wiped the tears from his eyes, and he tried to regain his composure. "I'm so sorry, Brooke." He broke down again, unable to control his crying. "I'm so sorry I screwed things up with you." I wiped the tears from his eyes. "I'm a dumbass."

This was a side of Lucas I had never seen. He had never been the type to have an emotional breakdown in front of people, especially me. It was relieving to see him breakdown right in front of me. It was something I had fighting for from his since we first met.


	11. Chapter 11

_Alright, guys this is the last chapter because I've lost interest in the story. I've started two more that I'm really enjoying writing so you should check them out! And leave some reviews to let me know what you think! Plus, I'm really proud of them, so definately check them out:) :) _

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_Lucas_

Brooke held me close to her body and her scent was driving me crazy. She smelled of flowers mixed with fabric sheets. It reminded me of when we were together, and how happy I was to be in her arms. My arms wrapped tight around her waist as my head sat on her shoulder. Her body rocked me back and forth as she tried to calm me.

"Lucas, what's wrong." Her voice was soft and comforting.

"I just need you, Brooke." I choked out. "I never wanted to be with Peyton, I was only with her because you left me." I pulled away to look her in the face. "I love you, Brooke."

Brooke eyes filled with tears. She tugged on my shirt, forcing me back against her body. My arms once again wrapped around her waist. This time she was crying into my shoulder. I rubbed my hand rhythmically up and down her back, as I kissed the side of her face.

"I'm sorry, Lucas." She cried, pulling away from me. Her tiny hands wiped tears from her cheeks.

"No, don't be sorry, baby," I grabbed her hand, then wiped the tears for her. "You have nothing to be sorry for. I was a fool. You were right, I never did open up to you." I reached my hand around her head, and pulled her into my chest. "I'm sorry I did that. I just wanted to make you happy all the time, and I didn't want to burden you with my problems."

Brooke pulled back from my embrace. There was a devilish grin on her face, one that I recognized. I was glad to see she was happier, but found it weird she would switch emotions so fast. Although, I had been dealing with my mother's pregnancy hormones lately, so I knew what was going on.

"Why do you have that look?" I asked.

"I love you, Lucas Scott." She leaned forward, quickly pecking my lips.

"I love you too, Brooke Davis." My hand cupped the side of her face, which she leaned into. "I want to be with you, Brooke. Like, really be with you." It dawned on me as I was speaking that I hadn't truly broken up with Peyton. However that didn't matter to me. All that mattered was being with Brooke.

As if reading my mind she asked, "What about Peyton?"

"I don't want to be with her." I looked towards the floor. "I haven't broken up with her yet, but tonight we had this horrible fight, and things were pretty much over when I left."

Brooke looked down as she thought about what I had just told her. "But you are going to break up with her?" I nodded my head. "So, you want to be my boyfriend?" Her face lit up.

"Actually," I looked away from her and started playing with lose strings on her bed spread. Her face had turned solemn when I looked back up to her. "I was thinking more along the lines of….fiancé….maybe, wife?" Brooke's face drained of all color.

"What?!" She shrieked, jumping from the bed. "Are you serious, Lucas Scott?!"

"Yeah," I nodded my head as Brooke paced around the room. "You're it for me, Brooke Davis. There is no one else I could ever want to be with. We're starting a family, and I want to be OUR child into this world the right way." Her pacing stopped as she stared at me.

"So, you only want to marry me because I'm carrying your child?" She plopped back onto the bed.

"No, no," I took Brooke's hand in my own. "I want to marry you because I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you. Because our child deserves to come into this world with his parents married." I brought her hands up to my face and placed a kiss on both of them.

"Okay," She choked out, tears falling from her eyes. "Let's do it, Luke."

"Really?" I asked. She nodded her head and wrapped her arms around my neck.

As Brooke went to pull back from our embrace, I pressed my lips hard against hers. It only took a moment for Brooke to respond to my forceful kiss. She opened her mouth slightly, allowing my tongue entrance. My tongue slid past her lips, and danced around in her mouth. It had been a long time since I had been in a kiss like this with Brooke Davis, and it was sending shivers throughout my body. Finally, I was with the girl I love and nothing was ever going to change that.

Everybody was excited about mine and Brooke's news of marriage. Everyone except for Peyton. She didn't take my breakup great, but took it better than expected. She fought hard for me to change my mind, but I knew she would never manage to do so. I tried to convince her that becoming friends with her ex-best friend would do her good, but she refused to see it that way. In the end, she called me and Brooke a ton of horrible names then kicked me out of her house.

Brooke and I got married two weeks after getting engaged. It was a simple ceremony, just the way we wanted it. The only people there were a few close friends and of course family. My mom and Keith were married the same day, at the same time. It was nice having my whole family together finally.

The months passed and finally Brooke was nine months pregnant. It was three days past her due to, and needless to say she was ready to go.

"Brooke, I know you're miserable, but you just have to hang in there." I tried to reassure her as I rubbed her feet for the millionth time that day.

"Your mom had the baby last week, why couldn't I of had the baby then?" Her voice was doing that high-pitched thing it always did when she was whining. Just as Brooke was about to start whining again, her mouth turned in the shape of an 'O' and her eyes grew wide. She looked down at her pants, where I followed her gaze. "My water broke."

"I noticed." My eyes were glued to the wet spot on Brooke's pants.

"Lucas!" She screamed, breaking me out of my daze. "I need to get to the ER and NOW!"

I ran threw the house grabbing stuff I thought we needed as Brooke tried to make her way to our car. She was having a difficult time, so I helped her along. It was a short drive to the hospital where once we got there we were checked in immediately.

The nurse came in and checked Brooke, but felt the baby's head instead. She instructed the accompanying nurse to get the doctor, and prepped Brooke for the arrival of our child. The doctor came in, and put his protective gear on. He instructed Brooke on how to push, and she did as told.

She yelled obscenities the whole time and was squeezing my hand so tight I was sure it was going to fall off. After an hour of pushing, there was a sweet cry of a baby.

"It's a boy." The doctor announced, placing the baby on Brooke's tummy.

An overwhelming feeling of joy swept through me as I looked at the little human being lying there. Tears flooded my eyes and fell down my cheeks as I was unable to control my emotions. After a few moments of the baby on her tummy, they took him away to clean him up. I leaned my head down into Brooke's shoulder, and cried harder than I had in my entire life.

"Brooke," I looked up at her through teary eyes. "I love you so much." I kissed her forehead gently.

The nurse encouraged me to help with the bath, and I was glad I did. After getting the baby cleaned and clothed, they handed him back to Brooke.

"Brooke, he's amazing." I rubbed the hair back on her forehead.

"What about a name?" She asked. "What do you want to call him?"

"Um," I tried to think.

"How about, Lucas James Scott?" She asked. "After you and after Haley."

"I love it." I kissed the side of her face.

Life was perfect.

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I know it was short, and I'm really sorry about that. But thank you too all of you who were devoted readers of this story! I really appreciated all of the reviews and feedback you left! Please, check out my other stories, I promise they are better than this one! THANKS SO MUCH FOR READING MY STORY! I really can't say it enough! 


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